Hasselt, the lively capital of the province of Limburg is situated between Liège and Antwerp on the Demer, a tributary of the Dijle. To the south extend fertile fields and orchards, in the north is the Limburg coal basin. Hasselt, as well as being a market and commercial center for the region, a role
which was acknowledged by the establishment of the Economics Institute in 1968, is an important industrial town; its chief industries being food processing, chemical and electronics.
The construction of the modern cultural center in 1959, the biggest in Flanders, brought the town considerable cultural significance.
Hasselt was already a market town in the Middle Ages in the county of Loon. In the 12th C. it received its town charter. In 1356 Hasselt was acquired together with County Loon by the Diocese of Liège and became the seat of local administration. In 1795 it was annexd by France and became capital of the Département of Meuse-Inférieure, and later, in 1813 capital of the Dutch province of Limburg. On 8 August 1831 a battle took place to the west of the town between Dutch troops under Crown Prince Wilhelm and the Belgian army of the Meuse. In 1839 Limburg was divided between Belgium and the Netherlands and Hasselt became capital of the Belgian province of Limburg.
The town centre of Hasselt is mostly car-free with a number of historical buildings. There are several well-known shopping streets and a complex with shopping and a hotel, which have brought a new lease on life to the area through renovations in 2003. In 2004, Hasselt received the title - Most Sociable City of Flanders.
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